Pacific Aster
Symphyotrichum chilense
- Native to:
- Canada, United States
John Rusk (www.flickr.com) from Berkeley, CA, United States of America
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Symphyotrichum
- Species:
- Symphyotrichum chilense
- USDA Symbol:
- SYCH4
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 100 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jul,aug,sep,oct,nov
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, lavender, blue, pink, white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Meadow Crescent (Phyciodes pratensis)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Anthophora urbana, Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Sitka bumble bee (Bombus sitkensis), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) Moths:Gnorimoschema subterranea Butterflies:American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchella), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Gray Buckeye (Junonia grisea), Mylitta crescent (Phyciodes mylitta), Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from rhizomes following fire; common in coastal prairie systems with periodic fire.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, well-drained sandy loam
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- good drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- native to coastal areas, prefers moist conditions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–28 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination; surface sow and do not cover.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: None required
Establishment: Seeds are collected between August 1st and November 30th. Mature inflorescences are brown. Seed is brown at maturity. S. chilense var. chilense is found from sea level to 4500 feet elevation in many plant communities; from southwestern Oregon to Santa Barbara County, California.
Source: npn.rngr.net